The Law School Bubble

I have worked full-time for two years since graduation, and I will admit that sometimes I give in to victim mentality and wish it was 1995. I donâ??t remember everything from â??Bring Your Daughter To Work” day, but I do recall my dadâ??s Hawaiian Luau Friday, swag embroidered with his company name, and his built in stock options. Fast-forward to today, and things look pretty bleak.

This infographic illustrates just one of the many industries feeling the pinch, the hallowed legal profession. As much as television still portrays the golden days of the profession when a law degree almost guaranteed a job, the infographic below, and several trend articles in the New York Times and other outlets beg to differ. It seems that while both law school tuition and application numbers are increasing, demand for lawyers and their average salaries are decreasing. This is not good news for anyone taking out loans (hello, majority) to get their J.D.

So where does that leave prospective lawyers? The information in the infographic below is crucial for anyone considering going to law school, but it doesnâ??t change the facts for the population that attend law school for one reason: their passion for law. For those people, going to law school isnâ??t just a way to a guaranteed job, make big money or wait out the recession. And in the end, those people, the ones with a passion for the profession, are the ones I want handling my legal issues. [Via]